Last updated: 23/05/22

I left home early on Friday, in order to take advantage of a good one-day forecast. I decided on Creag Meagaidh, expecting a path to have been beaten up the Coire Ardair path by the time I got started at around 10am.

But no such luck, so with snow down to the car park, I was soon into deep untrodden snow as I got into the higher trees, and then it was solid hard work, trying to keep to the often invisible path for its hard surface but often failing. A group came up behind me, and took over as we approached the loch. Then it was unbroken snow up to the Window, with a great view N beyond, but a bit of a breeze springing up. 

Up onto the plateau following a group of skiers who had traversed in along the E ridge, but it was plod-plod-plod for us two walkers all the way to the summit. With another group arriving from the W, it was crowded as well as cold up there, so I didn't stay long for lunch, especially but turned round and headed for the SE ridge, which looked a little scoured of snow and might provide better walking. And it did, to some extent, though the "stony" bits over Puist Coire Ardair turned out to be mainly ice, and the snow patches in between were just as deep.

I got down the SW ridge (Sron a Ghoire) above Aberarder, when it got wetter. About halfway down, I found myself following ski tracks (there must have been 20-odd skiers and boarders up on the hill that day), until they turned into snowprints on the steepest bits down through incipient scrub (which is taking a long time to establish even in a managed NNR)before turning back into ski-prints on a vague track across the sodden moor to Aberarder (and a bridge, not on my ancient map). Back to the car along a riverside nature trail in the dusk, quite tired after a 7-hour day! Onwards to Corran for a welcome shower,  change, G&T and meal, before settling into my double room from which Bill had been evicted due to a water leak in its ceiling!

Up early on Saturday, and down to Loch Creran on the Oban road with Kolbjorn , Espe, Helen and Stewart, to assault the just-Munro Beinn Sgulaird, first via the hydro track above Druimavuic, and then via a vague path up grass onto the ridge, with a sharpish wind from the SE. Over the SW top and down a steepish descent before heading up into the cloud and snow. 

A much-needed coffee-stop at a cairn, and a bit of navigation at one or two places where the ridge - rocky in places - dipped down, but eventually we reached the main cairn - no view, of course. Then turned L and down some wonderful snow until we found ourselves descending quite steep rocks and snow, where an ice-axe was a re-assurance in deep moist snow. 

At last down onto grass above a new reservoir (not on my 1959 map, anyhow!) and its landrover track leading back to Loch Creran. Actually getting onto the track on the other side of the outflow was not too easy - two deer fences to surmount, and a nasty concrete lip which the others avoided in favour of a descent to the burn below. 

After a well-deserved rest, it was an hour or so back to the cars as the rain came on in earnest. Back to the hostel by 4pm or so, and a very pleasant evening around the communal meal.

Sunday loomed nastily, but I set off in heavy rain around 7:30 for Loch Laggan, where the rain lightened as I approached Binnein Shuas from the W off the Pattack track, with views under the cloud. Up moor into rocky ground and cloud, and then the summit, with time for a snack before heading NE down the ridge whuch turned out - not unexpoect5edly - to have some nasty rock steps which took a bit of negotiation, and finally a major descent down wet snow onto the moor above the lochside trees. Amazingly, two people and a dog were ascending this way! A pleasant stroll back along the loch to the car, and back home in Aberdeen by 4pm.